Yesterday I left the office at 4pm, walked 6km through a park in the shade on a very pleasant summers day. When I reached home my children were playing with their friends outside, once they were done I took them for a quick swim. It was really good soaking in the water and letting the tension flow out of my muscles. Today wasn’t much different. I came home in time to give my eldest a hug as he arrived back from school – then had a cup of tea as they went down to play. I joined them 30 minutes later in the playground. After dinner we danced to some music, read stories and slept upside down on the bed.

It’s been a really nice few days. Some times it’s just about enjoying what’s already there. Ignoring the stresses of life and recognizing that what you have is really, really, beautiful.

Exercise and your usual daily routine are great staples – but sometimes you need to eat fattening food, get lots of sleep and enjoy a few long walks with very little to think about. It’s the best way to ensure you’re mentally & emotionally healthy.

Earlier this year I attended Ballet under the Stars, I haven’t been to the ballet in years and it was definitely worthwhile! It was actually a dress rehearsal, but the organizers had very kindly agreed to allow children from MINDS to attend free of charge. It was a private viewing of the ballet mixed with really fun interaction from the Artistic Director (choreographer).

I’m pretty sure it didn’t cost the theater company anything, and was helpful for the performers to have an audience. It had tremendous value for the kids & their parents though, not to mention our team of volunteers (who were suitably impressed). Even though it was a great opportunity, there wasn’t any press coverage. They did it because it was a good thing to do. It was a small contribution to making the world a better place.

“The Marc Benioff approach of choosing one thing that you can work towards is a great way to ensure your business makes a positive difference in the communities it serves, while ensuring that you aren’t biting off more than you can chew. What one thing does your business do to help others?” – Richard Branson

Whether it’s Richard Branson who thinks that protecting our natural resources is a great entrepreneurial opportunity, or Marc Bernioff who is committed to creating equal opportunities for women in the workplace – one thing is clear. You can make a profit, get some good PR, and save the world at the same time. If you Google either of these two moguls you’ll see articles talking about their social work, but both are very distinct. They’ve focused on specific areas and are recognized as personalities that represent the cause. Whilst trying to save the world, they’re recognized as being evangelists for their particular cause. Which is much more news worthy than being known as “that guy that does alot of charity work”.

Rather than jumping at every opportunity, find one cause that you believe in and work towards it. It’ll help you develop expertise in an area, achieve more – and for the Machiavellian, might lead to some recognition & good PR opportunities.

Social content is quite literally everywhere. I went for a walk in the park and took photos of a dozen different things, I posted a couple on Instagram and shared a few directly with friends. I wasn’t the only one though. Almost everyone there was busy taking photos. How often do you find people taking photos of their food or a quirky looking drink when they’re at a restaurant? Sometimes you’ll actually need to wait before drinking because people are too busy or queued up to take photos of something on the table!

Everything has become a social media content opportunity. Which is why it surprises me when I visit a restaurant that doesn’t make it’s social media presence visible. Right now, I’m sitting at Riders Café and it’s beautiful. Everything from the view, the sound of the horses in the background to the smell is just fabulous. I’ve taken a few pictures (of course), but looking around the table, I have no idea if the café is even on Instagram or Twitter.

Prompting your customers to share (if they’re happy) can go a long way. It’s no different to all the YouTube videos which have a “subscribe now” call out at the end. It doesn’t need to be as loud and bright as an online CTA. Something subtle that doesn’t detract from the rest of the ambiance, such as a well placed social media handle (@riderscafe) on a coaster would make it much easier for me to share my pics (and mention the café).

How are you incorporating social content opportunities into your business?